XMen: The Fourth Dimension
by Evelien Michaels
Summary: Set after X3. Suffering the loss of 3 Xmen, the discovery of one mutant could change everything... and those against mutants become more angry than ever. JL later
1. Prologue

Author: Evelien Michaels

Rating: PG- 13

Summary: takes place after X3, I've added some new characters whom I call the "Elite Ten." might get confusing at sometimes, but know that some of it takes place in another dimension where one can basically time travel.Because of this, there will be scenes in X3 that will appear in my story.

Disclaimer: obviously I do not own X-Men, I'm just a poor little hick. This is the first time I've ever written a lengthy sci-fi fic, so bare with me. Comments are appreciated whether they are nice or just evil ;-). There will also be some JeanxLogan and RoguexBobby, so I'm sorry for those who like Scott... you'll hate me. :-) Please R&R

_PROLOGUE_

"_Mutation: it is the key to human evolution. It has enabled us to evolve from a single-celled organism into the dominant species on the planet. This process is slow normally taking thousands and thousands of years. But every few hundred millennia…evolution leaps forward."_

X X X X

She was fourteen when she realized she was different; that the "dangerous" mutants she had heard of so often was what she had become. The process was slow, but just as she reached adolescence, the mutation seemed to ignite each and every cell of her five eight frame with a new white hot sensation.

At first, she told herself it was just some nightmare she was trapped inside; that the objects that slammed into the wall every time she was angered could not have been because she had a "gift." However, the more she tried to deny her mutation, the more she began to feel the overwhelming loneliness and fear stealing her. It was a constant feeling of being out of place, as if there was this whole other world and life waiting for her. Then the dreams started. When she slept at night, she saw her in her dreams. She did not know who the woman was, yet she knew that somehow… that woman was a part of her. She was always pictured in the same way, standing on the edge of a mountain; her long arms spread wide, her hair blowing in the wind. There were moments when the sun hit her hair and it seemed almost as if the red color had illuminated her, like she was a flame burning more beautiful and powerful than any person can imagine possible.

Often she would lie awake wondering if she was indeed real, or even human. She eventually continued on with her life as normally as possible, but a few months later, her voice began reaching out to her from some greater beyond. It made her wonder about many unexplained mysteries there truly were in the world shared among so many different creatures.

One day though, Sabrine Page of Black Hawk, Minnesota came to the conclusion that she was indeed _a mutant_… and Nightshade was born.

X X X X

"_Mutants. Since the discovery of their existence, they have been regarded with fear, suspicion, and often hatred. Across the planet, debated rages: Are mutants the next link in the evolutionary chain… or simply a new species of humanity fighting for their share of the world? Either way, one fact has been historically proven: Sharing the world has never been humanity's defining attribute…"_

-Charles Xavier


	2. New Beginnings

**A/n: okay so this chapter is about the most boring of them all, but it introduces the new characters and how they became mutants. Please R&R! A writer can't write without feedback!**

**Chapter One: New Beginnings**

**Los Angeles – 1994**

A set of blueberry eyes stared out at the majestic Los Angeles coastline, while patiently waiting for her mother to return. Jolie Xavier was a short girl of only five years whose legs dangled a good foot and a half off the ground from the hospital bed she was currently sitting upon. After an hour of playing with her long relentless locks of curly blonde hair, she decided to find some other way to keep herself entertained.

Outside the door, her mother argued with the doctor. This was the third time Jolie was in a hospital in the past two weeks. She complained of having extreme headaches and pain throughout her body. Her mother feared her daughter was severely ill... or worse insane, so she brought her in for medical attention as soon as she could get off from work.

_Hello Jolie... you've exceeded my expectations. I hadn't imagined your mutation would appear at so young an age._

Jolie squirmed in her seat as the voice returned once again to haunt her thoughts. The voice belonged to an older man; it held a low resonance and sounded powerful, yet gentle at the same time. She had heard the voice before, and knew that it belonged to her estranged grandfather, but could not understand why it continued to torment her.

_Jolie, it's time you come with me. I can help you... teach you how to control your power. These people can't help you. They don't understand you... they _fear_ you Jolie. Come with me..._

"STOP!" she screamed to the voice, unaware of her sudden outburst, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

Her mother flung the door open, rushing over to her daughter and laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Jo? Honey, it's okay... you're alright." her mother tried her best to calm her flailing daughter, but was of no avail.

_You know she must come with me... _The voice spoke to the mid-thirties woman.

She answered him with her thoughts, _Dad...?_

_I can help her... she can't stay with these people. She needs to learn control..._

_Not everyone wants to be controlled Daddy._

_It was your choice to stay on your own, but do you really think your five year old daughter will be able to survive?_

_Don't do this to me, she's just a child._

_Yes, she is a child... if her life means anything to you you'll let her go._

"Jo... Jolie?" her mother's voice faded to a decibel hardly able to be heard by the human ear as her daughter's body began blurring out of focus like a television in a bad thunderstorm.

Jolie screamed with sheer terror at the new feeling that spread through her body. Her molecules began to heat themselves as if being cooked on some imaginary furnace before disappearing altogether. She heard her parents speaking of strange behavior like this over dinner, but she never believed something so extraordinary could happen to her. A new feeling of absolute amazement spread through her body as she disappeared with a "_Poomf"_ and reappeared on the other side of the door.

The doctor's eyes opened wide with a mixture of shock, astonishment, and fear. Seeing his reaction, her mother quickly took her daughter's hand and ran to the nearest exit and out into the blinding sun.

_Help her please..._

Jolie studied her mother's face one last time as they climbed into the car before sleep overcame her.

It was the last time she would see her mother.

X X X X

**Kenya – 1996**

It had started as a simple childish game under the blistering sun of the African desert. Among the village children was a seven year old girl with waist length cocoa colored hair and sparkling gray eyes. Her name was Dasha, and currently her team was losing the game by a large margin. The objective was simple, everyone would hide and two people, one from each team, would have to find all the people on the other team before their opponent. She had always been the youngest child in the village, the last one chosen, and the slowest runner. She lost every round she was the "seeker" and never chose any good places to hide.

She recalled her mother's best friend Ororo telling her that she had very similar problems when she was a small child. Ororo was possibly the only person she could talk to, other than the older servant girls that worked alongside her; however, Ororo's annual visits to her old village eventually ceased. She had become an X-man, a term Dasha never completely understood, and she had more important responsibilities in the United States.

Caught daydreaming yet again, Dasha's team quickly lost the round of play. The others on her team were clearly upset with her. They had tried several times to remove her from their games, but their parents insisted they let her play.

"Dasha, how could you? We've lost another round thanks to you!" an older boy screamed at her.

"I'm sorry," she replied, her body shaking slightly from the sound of the boy's harsh words.

"What's wrong Dasha? You going to cry?"

"You're such a little baby!"

Their belittling words overwhelmed her, and she eventually collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she openly sobbed.

The other children only found this a greater opportunity to sting her with their vile words. They laughed and pointed their fingers at her, as she continued to cry. She buried her head in her arms in a failed attempt to block their faces from her view. Their actions suddenly became more painful as a single stone hit her square in between her two shoulder blades. The impact made her scream in pain as the pointed edge struck against her bare chocolate skin. Their assault continued with more vigor as she felt anger and pain corse through her body.

As soon as it begun, the rocks stopped hitting her and the sound of hushed whispers filled her ears. She peered up at the older children, meeting terrified eyes. She wondered what they were staring at and looked down at her hands, only to find them illuminated by a white light.

She stood up, facing her adversaries with a newly found confidence as her feet slowly lifted off the ground. The light around her seemed to spread outward, touching the shoulders and faces of those around her. Her body felt like a balloon ready to burst at any point. It was a feeling she had never experienced in all her life.

And just like that she became invisible.

X X X X

**New York City – 1997**

Mahogany Worthington was seven when she first beheld the sight of her brother standing in front of the bathroom mirror with a leather harness that held down two white feathered _wings_. She stood in awe and approached him silently lifting a hand to feel the smooth texture of the soft feathers. He was five years older than her and although they were close, had never mentioned the wings. With a gentle gesture, she reached forward to unclasp on of the straps that held the wings securely to his body.Her brother Warren did nothing to stop her actions, and she continued unfastening the belted leather.

As she moved to open the last clasp her brother grabbed her hand in protest, but she had already opened it.

"Mahogany!"he screamed as his wings unfolded, revealing a majestic wingspan of almost ten feet.

"I'm sorry!"

In the same fraction of a second, her father came bursting through the door"Mahogany, what have you done?" he grabbed her brother and pulled his wings into the harness, tightening the straps once again and pushing the boy into the hallway.

She bent down to pick up a few white feathers that had fallen from the struggle and rose to glance at herself in the mirror. The same blonde-haired, stormy-eyed girl looked her back in the face; however, as she was about to leave, she noticed something foreign. Something black was beginning to jut from her enlarged shoulder blades.

_Feathers._

X X X X

**Greece – 1999**

The hallway was filled with white walls and poorly lit overhead fluorescent lights, and to nine year old Cordelia smelt of antiseptics and death itself. Her short stocky legs tapped impatiently against the spotted tile floors.

He was late again.

Cordelia had given up on her father. Hank McCoy had often chosen his government position over his commitment to his family. Her mother Victoria had given him everything he had asked for; she even went through the painful moving process when it had to be done.

And now here she was in Delphi, Greece with her aunt and uncle beside her on a hospital bench, gentling holding on to her hands and praying for a miracle. They told her her mother had been in an accident, but Cordelia knew the truth; her mother was dying... attached to machines that kept her alive, but would never speak to her again.

She ran a nervous hand through her long hair that always appeared a darker violet hue, rather than a natural black. Silver eyes searched expectantly for any sign of life, but the hallway was empty, echoing only with her silent tears.

Part of her refused to believe that such a horrible tragedy could happen to the person she held most dear. It was unfair her mother should suffer such a horrid fate... that Cordelia herself should have such a horrid fate. What would happen to her now that she had lost the only person in her life? What would become of her? Would she suffer the same fate?

At the end of the hallway, a woman slowly approached. Pain was written all over her face, she knew what was coming. Tears spilled uncontrollably from her two piercing metal eyes as a rush of icy coldness spread through her entire body. Her mind raced a mile a minute and suddenly the world had opened up to her, like Pandora's Box spilling its demons out into the world.

Through the door at the end of the hallway she saw the doctors pull the plug on the machines as the heart monitor beeped showing a straight line. She was gone. The sound of her mother's last breath rang through her ears like a bullet. Then the hospital came to life, sounds of machines, patients in pain, doctors fighting to save their lives, and their loved ones crying. They were floors away, walls away from her, yet she heard the sound of everyone of them.

It became too much for her to handle as she doubled over in pain clutching her ears and screaming as loud as she could in an attempt to block out the noise. She was of no avail. The sound rang in her ears, a noisy fire alarm echoing forever, until blackness finally took over her senses.

X X X X

**New York City- 2000**

Chloe Darkholme stared out a pair of French doors as a cab pulled up at the end of the driveway. If only she had known that her mother was leaving with the intention of never returning, she would have flung her five foot ten frame in front of the car door. At the age of only twelve, Chloe had matured faster than her mother could have imagined.

She had brown hair that barely reached her chin and a pair of blue eyes the shade of her mother's skin when natural and not undercover. Raven Darkholme, or Mystique as she preferred to be called, was a mutant and had been for over half of her life. With the ability to transform into any other human or mutant at her will, she had spent the years of her daughter's childhood disguised as a woman who had once been a teacher to her. Troubled by the overwhelming feeling of keeping herself hidden from her servants, family, and others she came in contact with, her emotions eventually became too much for even her to handle. Like a ruptured dam she could not stand to be hidden any longer. If the world could not accept what she was, so be it.

And just like that she left.

There was something different about the way she had said goodbye, and Chloe sensed it. In fact, it ripped through her, eating away at the part of her heart that was dedicated only for her mother, the part of her that made her feel loved, wanted, and completed. And now like a flash of lighting crackling through the sky... it was gone.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to simply fall to the ground and curse the world for allowing her mother to so willingly leave her behind. What in the world was she supposed to do now?

Anger surged through her like a hydroelectric power plant, energy coursing through her entire body. Unaware of the nature's toll on her body, the servants stopped in their tracks to stare at the wonder that was enfolding before their eyes.

Chloe heard the sound of a glass breaking, pulling herself out of her reverie. It was then that she noticed the stares of those around her. They formed a circle, knit tightly around her. She was a caged animal with no way of escape.

The picking sensation creeping up her spine caused her to look down at her lower limbs. Before her eyes, her shoes had begun to disappear and were replaced instead with a set of two golden feet, the color of her mothers eyes. But it did not stop there, in fact the golden color spread over her, giving her a feeling of skin peeling off due to being badly sunburned.

She wanted to scream; however, this new feeling was something too great, too entirely _amazing _for her to pull away from. She turned to glance at one of the servant girls slightly younger than herself with gleaming gray eyes.

The younger girl approached the newly golden coated Chloe Darkholme without a moment's hesitation.

"I know where we can be safe."

X X X X

**South Carolina – 2001**

_Fourteen hours_.

Fourteen hours she had lain in that bed, while doctors and nurses prodded her body with needles, drawing blood, measuring her blood pressure, her pulse and she was sick of it. Twelve year old Ashlyn Cassidy had never experienced a birthday as horridly boring as this one. It was a beautiful April day and after almost a week of rain showers, she wished for nothing more than to be outside playing amongst the other girls her age.

Her foster mother was nothing like the other traditionally Southern ladies in her neighborhood; growing up in Chicago, Caroline Cassidy handled things the politically correct way. While the other mothers made their own remedies to cure their children, the Cassidy girls found themselves inside the doctor's office the instant she suspected something was wrong.

Ashlyn was a pretty girl with strawberry blonde hair that cascaded over her shoulders in little ringlets and viewed the world through two striking blue eyes that reflected the color of the Mediterranean Sea. She had always had a fascination with water, and since her adoption spent every minute of her free time in the cool waters of the South Carolina coast.

She sighed heavily so the doctors would notice and twiddled her thumbs impatiently.

"Are we almost done?" she asked, in a tone that showed others that she meant business even at an age of twelve.

"Darlin' we need ta send this blood to the lab, but don't you be worryin' we'll get ya out of here in no time."

_That's exactly what you said an hour ago! _Her mind screamed, wondering if this was some form of cruel and unusual punishment.

By the time the doctors had finished their "mandatory procedures," Ashlyn had been at the doctors for over sixteen hours. Obviously they had found something, which caused her stomach to flip-flop. She shook the thought from her head and stood up, only to come tumbling down face first into the cold tile floor.

She awoke to a pale yellow overhead light, and realized that she was in the emergency room. To her right, she saw her mother's sleeping form. Though she could not see her face under her frizzy red curls, Ashlyn knew she was far beyond worried.

"Mom?"

"Oh Ashlyn honey! I'd hoped you'd be wakin' soon. Gave me quite a scare missy."

"What happened?"

"You fainted from the blood loss... I warned ya not to stand up to fast!"

"Are we still going to dinner?"

"What are you talkin' about sweetie?"

"For my birthday..."

"Honey... it's the eleventh...you've been out for three days..."

"What?"

Silence filled the room to the point where breathing sounded like a bomb exploding.

"What's wrong with me?"

"It's nothin'."

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?"

"Ashlyn... you have leukemia..."

The four syllable word grasped her, and for a moment it felt as if her esophagus was being squeezed closed. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes, though she used all her strength to keep reality at bay. She did not want to accept what her mother had just said; she did not want the pain to be real.

And at the same time she wished the ocean would cry for her; she wished the water would rise above her, swirling as a waterspout of pain and sorrow. To her astonishment she heard the faucet beside her bed turn on, pouring its contents all over the floor. She outstretched her hand palm out toward the crystal clear water, in an inviting action almost as if she was calling it to her.

She felt a single drop hit her palm.

To her surprise the spray changed direction, twisting at an impossible angle toward her pale skinned palm. She expected to be hit with the force of the liquid, but it never touched her. Instead it circled around her like a rain cloud, floating above her head.

Her mother's cry for help never registered to her ears. She was too fascinated by her power to listen to the world around her. It was until she felt a needle prick in her arm and an overwhelming fatigue did she recall the events that had just occurred.

She felt reborn; she had mutated.

X X X X

**Mississippi – 2002**

It was the summer before Stasia turned thirteen; the heat was at a record high when she returned home from camp in the Appalachian Mountains. She grabbed her luggage off the train and ran over to the familiar man waiting to greet her.

His name was Ted Keller and for as long as she could remember he had lived next door to her family. He was the brother she never had, and for the past month and a half, she had missed him terribly.

"Teddy!" she exclaimed, as her frizzly black hair bounced on her shoulders.

"Hey stranger! What've those Yankees done to ya hair darlin'?" he asked, reaching forward to touch a strand of her newly done silver highlights.

"Hey! I kinda like it." The sound of her smooth Southern accent returned to her voice as she picked up her bags and threw them in the back of the truck.

She took a seat beside him on the passenger side pulling oversized sunglasses on to hide her cocoa eyes. He turned on the country music and they were on their way with nothing but the cool breeze flowing by them.

_Finally_, she smiled, _it's good to be home_.

"So how's everyone been? Mama and Papa survivin' without me?"

"Surprisingly, I believe they're doin' betta with out ya little sweet ass naggin' em 'bout everythang."

"Well I thank ya for that... how's Marie?"

Marie was four years older than her and about to begin her senior year of high school. They were extremely close, and Stasia feared what life would be like without her constantly beside her. When Ted did not respond, she faced him, curiosity flanking her expression.

"What's wrong? Did somethin' happen to Marie? Is she alright?"

"Stasia honey... she left..."

"Left? What do ya mean she left?"

"Stasia ran away..."

"What? Why?"

"She's a... a..."

"What?"

"She's a mutant..."

"Is... is she comin' back?"

"Darlin' I don't think she's eva comin' back..."

Stasia did not cry; she was literally incapable of doing so. Her bad ass persona simply did not allow it, yet now she wanted to scream. How could her sister, the one and only person she could ever depend on just leave her? Didn't she matter at all?

Ted cut the engine as they pulled into the driveway.

"It'll be okay Stasia..."

"No it won't!"

"Stasia!" he reached for her hand, but she quickly yanked it away.

"Don't touch me!"

By now her parents had realized she arrived and were coming to greet her. They seemed so happy, too happy for parents who had lost their oldest daughter.

"Stasia, will you just talk to me!" he grabbed her hand before she had a chance to let go, and as soon as it happened, his entire body froze.

Stasia was bewildered. All she did was touch him and it was as if he had suddenly turned into a popsicle; his mouth still formed the shape of the vowel "e." Energy crackled at her fingertips and all she could do was scream.

_What have I done?_

X X X X

**Germany – 2004**

Hans Volker had never been the prime example of a good husband, so naturally when the time came around he was not the best of fathers either. His wife left him for another man after only four years of marriage, leaving him alone with a toddler to raise. Having a drunken father did not give Nadine a great person to look up to. Her life as a child was hard, disciplined, but she had learned a great deal about taking care of yourself by yourself. In fact, in many cases she had acted more like a parent over the course of fifteen years than her father had.

Growing up on the Eastern side of Berlin shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall had not been easy. Riots and evil men who terrorized her as a young child were found frequently throughout the areas of the streets she called home. She would learn though, and would pick herself up and dry the tears from her crystalline blue eyes.

Despite her father's alcoholic lifestyle, there were times when he would stroke her wispy dark hair and she realized he did indeed love her. On the days he was sober and unaffected by a nasty hangover, he was actually a charming man. They'd go out to the Beckerei and have some ice cream, discussing her school life and what her plans were that week. She seemed to be the only one who could see past the haze of whiskey his heart was surrounded by. She knew he would never leave her, never let her down... that is until November rolled around.

She watched from the apartment window, tears streaming down her peaches and cream complection and mixing with the darkness of her hair. Two men held on to either of his shoulders as handcuffs were slapped onto his wrists. This time it was real; this time there would be no next time... he was really gone. Over the pounding of her beating heart, she hardly heard the social service worker approach her.

She felt the woman's warm palm on her shoulder and turned around, eyes wide and fierce.

"Don't touch me!"

"My name is Brigitte Lehmann... I've come to help you."

"_Gehen Sie raus_!" her thick Northern German accent laced within each syllable as she screamed for the woman to leave her alone.

"Nadine, please come with me!"

"_Ich hasse dich! Gehen Sie raus_!"

Despite her pleas to be left alone, the woman would not leave. Again she cried out, "Leave me alone!" but the woman did not waver. So she screamed with everything that was left inside of her, "_Gehen Sie raus_!"

The woman's face paled and she immediately ran out the door. For years she would tell herself the words she screamed before the woman left were spoken, but she knew the truth.

She had been inside the woman's mind, and now she would be alone.

X X X X

**Brazil – 2005**

Deep in the heart of South America, a fifteen year old girl with long blonde hair and green eyes was on her way to her first ever international soccer camp. Pilar Rasputin was a natural athlete and drop dead gorgeous. With tanned skin, high cheek bones, a sweet smile, and a small dusting of freckles, she was every boy's fantasy. She laughed with the other girls on the bus as they sang Spanish songs they had learned from the Spanish girls at the first day of their orientation. She had been waiting all her life for an opportunity like this, and she was not about to waste it.

The first two weeks ran smoothly. She made new friends in her assigned cabin and got a workout from the days of long exercises. It was a Saturday night, which meant free time in the city which for every girl at the camp spelled out one thing; shopping. She ran of with two of her bunkmates Caty and Denise toward a small corner shop they had grown quite fond of when she got the call.

Most teenage girls her age were going through the stage where they absolutely hated their parents and did everything within their power to rebel against them, but Pilar had always been close to her parents, especially her father and enjoyed spending time with them. After her older brother Peter left, her parents were really the only people left in her life. She was a loner, without many friends and she was glad to have her parents to lean on.

Her world was tumbling down quickly, so fast it seemed to be sliding right through her fingers. Her parents were getting _divorced_. What caused this sudden change? Her parents were the perfect couple, and completely in love... at least Pilar had thought so. How could this be happening to her?

She burst through the doors out onto the street and hid in an abandoned corner. This was unreal. How could they to this to themselves? To their family? To her?

She let the tears slide down her face and realized through all her frustration her hands had begun to dematerialize. Her body fazed in and out at the speed of light, bouncing off the walls uncontrollably. People had begun to gather on the street, staring at her in disbelief. Her tears came at a faster rate as her body flew at an unimaginable speed. The last thing she remembered was the sound of a jet engine overhead before long arms wrapped around her.

A/N: well that's it for now... next chapter should be longer and features the X-Men and Brotherhood's attempts to capture the most powerful mutant. Please R&R! The next chapter will be up later in the week! Evelien


	3. Evolution Leaps Forward

**Chapter 2: Evolution Leaps Forward**

"Sir, I'm picking up an electromagnetic anomaly... even bigger than that of the Phoenix... I can't seem to trace the source." Callisto, a tattooed woman of the Brotherhood of mutants responded to the man she called her master.

"Keep on it... let me know when you locate the mutant."

"You think it's a mutant?"

Magneto turned on his heel to stare his companion straight in the face. Since the fall of his most faithful sidekick Mystique, Callisto had attempted to fill her place; she was filled with too many questions, and frankly he was getting tired of it.

"That's impossible... what could be more powerful than a Class Five mutant?"

"A Class Six mutant..."

"Impossible, no one can be stronger than her. You've seen what she's capable off, who could beat her?"

"Her daughter..."

Callisto stared at him in disbelief. "I saw her die with my own eyes... there's no way she had a daughter!"

"My dear there is another world out there that you know nothing of... now have you located her yet?"

"Signal seems to be centered in Minnesota."

X X X X

This life was a lie, a masquerade she had been forced to play along with, her "mother" Winona Page being its star. Winona was a thin laced lawyer and Harvard graduate. She was surprisingly cunning, which perhaps was the only reason she was able to keep Sabrine's past secret from her for so many years.

As she stared off again, wishing the gentle voice of the woman in her head would return, her bow drifted off her cello and fell limp beside her. This was how she spent her summer nights; playing cello as her mother worked in her office, working to become worthy of Winona's respect.

"Why have you stopped?" she heard her yell from the upstairs office.

With a sigh, she found the bow beside her, tightened the frog, and continued to play Johann Sebastian Bach's Concerto Number Two in E major. Outside the sun began to sink beneath the horizon as an unfamiliar scent reached her oddly-heightened sense of smell.

She dropped the bow again, and sprang to her feet with an animal's graze at the sight of a cloaked man and his female companion.

"We mean you no harm Sabrine..."

"How do you know my..."

"You're very powerful you know... and I'm not just talking of music."

"How do you mean sir?"

"That's not important now. What is important is getting you home."

"Home? What are you talking about? This is my home!"

"So many questions child... just like your mother. You look just like her."

"I don't... Winona?"

"No not Winona!"

"I... Winona!" her mother's presence in the opposite corner of the room startled her. Clearly she was unhappy, and she had no intention of finding the reason why.

"Is that anyway to speak to your mother?" she threatened, taking a step towards the young teen.

"She's not your mother Sabrine," the stranger stated in a hushed whisper, "you know she's not."

Winona stepped between her daughter and the unidentified man, steam shooting from her ears. "Who... who the hell are you? Sabrine come it's time to go..." she turned to her daughter who remained standing, "Sabrine!"

She turned her head sharply, eyes glowing a pale lavender for a brief moment before returning to their emerald state. "Don't make me."

"Fine!" she shouted loudly, before tromping up the stairs yet again, leaving Sabrine alone with the two strangers.

"Damn Homo sapiens..." Magneto muttered under his breath.

"You say you know my mother..."

"Yes, your real mother... Jean, Jean Grey."

"How... how do you?"

"Your mother is..."

"You're a mutant aren't you!"

"You catch on quite quickly..."

"What do you want?"

"So demanding! What makes you think we want something?"

Her reply was the classic don't-mess-with-me stare Jean Grey had used so often. "Sabrine, we need your help..."

Without warning, she grasped a hold of his thoughts. _We need your help to save your mother_. "My mother's dead you idiot!"

"No she's not... I know you know she's not... she's in the Fourth Dimension. You're the only one who can find her. You know that and it kills you that you don't know how to find her."

"Shut up! Shut up!" Tears slid silently down her cheeks. She had worked so hard to sort out the memories of her past, yet had been unsuccessful at identifying the place her mother was being held captive. "Please... tell me what I have to do." These strangers scared her, but she was willing to do whatever it took to be with her mother again.

"Come back with me, we'll train you. It's what you've always wanted isn't it? To be reunited with your mother... she loves you... it's been nine years hasn't it? Of course nine years in another dimension isn't that long, but it's still tearing you apart.

Reality hit her hard in the face. _Where have I heard that voice_? Her mind plunged into his without hesitation, or him realizing what was taking place. She saw Nazi prison camps, Alcatraz... Liberty Island. Liberty Island!

"You! I can't go with you! I know who you are! Magneto, Master of Magnetism, a mutant terrorist is what they call you... I don't want to be one of you... part of your _Brotherhood_. You're against the very things my mother stood for... against the school, the man you were once close friends with! Now leave! _Get out of my house_!

"Sabrine, please you're not being rational!"

"Go now..." she raised her hands, eyes glowing a fierce purple, "or I'll blow you into a million pieces."

"Sabrine!"

She lifted him slightly off the ground with her telekinesis, "Don't think I won't!"

He nodded, turning quickly with a twirl of his cape as she lowered him to the ground. He disappeared suddenly, but not before saying his parting words. "We'll meet again child."

She heard a whizz through the air, and lifted her hand to catch the object.

_Dog tags_.

X X X X

The X-Men Mansion

Dasha Munroe shielded her eyes from the unexpectedly blinding sunlight.

"Rise 'n shine Sunshine!" Chloe sand in a sing-song voice.

Dasha, in response, buried her head deeper into her pillow, groaning loudly at her failed attempt to block the sun's devilish rays.

"Come on Glazy-poo!" Chloe grabbed her ankles, trying to pry her off the mattress, "Dasha Munroe! It's 11:30!"

"Go away!" came a muffled reply, hidden beneath several sheets.

"Go away!" Chloe mocked in Dasha's voice.

"Ha ha you're so funny! Come one! It's Saturday!"

"Dasha! _Glaze_!"

"What?"

"Ororo wants to see you..."

_Well that woke her up... _Chloe thought watching the suddenly awake Dasha change out of her pajamas quickly.

"Come on, I'll take you to her."

The two teenagers walked down the hallway in complete silence, greeting the younger students who walked by.

"Feels like we've been here forever doesn't it?" Dasha asked.

"To think six years ago you were my servant!"

"Do you have to remind me of that everyday?"

Chloe smiled her wide innocent smile, wrapping an arm around the younger girl. "Yes I do, but you were the one who brought us here and for that I am..."

"Forever thankful?" Dasha finished, "I know."

"Well here we are... good luck..."

Dasha rolled her eyes and opened the large wooden door before her.

"Well it's about time Miss Dasha!" A beautiful African woman with short stormy hair and misty eyes smiled warmly at her pupil from across the room. Her name was Ororo Munroe, also called Storm for her ability to control the weather.

"I'm sorry Professor Munroe..."

"Professor Munroe? You're not in trouble Glaze."

"Oh... I thought..."

"No, I just wanted to talk to you... come sit down."

"Ok, shoot," Dasha flopped down in the armchair across her aunt.

"Logan and I are leaving on a mission..."

"Oh?"

"The Professor is sending us to find a mutant... we should be gone a few hours at most..."

"What kind of mutant?"

Ororo fell silent staring into the cautious eyes of her niece.

"It's her isn't it?" Ororo only nodded.

"Don't you think that's dangerous? She could kill you without even lifting a finger! Ororo honestly, think about what you're doing!"

"Despite what you may think, she is a confused child, just like you once were! She's lost and alone with more power than she can handle! If we don't bring her back, Magneto will use her power against us."

"Please Ororo... be careful."

"Always."

X X X X

The Blackbird was more than a jet; it was a stealth aircraft with complete with pitch-black paint, a sleek body, pointed nose, two immensely powerful ramjets, and a pair of sharply slanted wings. Overall the jet was equipped with enough power to put other aircrafts to shame and speed enough to outrun an enemy if needed. It was also very good in making what would be long flights, quicker than the fastest airline, which was exactly what they needed now.

"I'm sending you the coordinates of your target's location. This one may not comply as nicely as we would like, but by all means, do not resort to violence unless absolutely necessary. I'd like everyone back in one piece thank you. Good luck." The Professor's voice boomed over the loud speaker within the Blackbird. He had returned a month after being proclaimed dead, in the body of a man no one recognized. It took time to get used to his new appearance, but he soon returned to his old job of running the school.

In the right-hand pilot seat, Logan looked uneasy. Unlike Storm, whose mutant abilities gave her acute senses while flying, Logan never liked the sensation of flying... especially now, sitting in the pilot seat which was once occupied by a certain beautiful red-headed green-eyed mutant.

Storm seemed to sense his inner turmoil, giving him a small smile before making the plane come alive. Everyone at the mansion was aware of his guilt over Jean's death, and although he was the one who physically ended her life, she was the one who pleaded for him to sacrifice her. The Phoenix, her evil alter-ego, had caused havoc in Alcatraz destroying everything in her path, human or otherwise. He missed her terribly, and everyone feared he would never be the same.

"You ready for this?" she asked him gently, fearing she'd wake the animal within him.

"What do we know about the mutant?" he was all business, which was better than his usual demeanor.

"Her name's Sabrine Page, but she calls herself Nightshade. Her abilities are unknown, her power's pretty much unlimited making her a danger to the world."

"Another beast we have to cage?"

"It's not like that Logan... she has to be taught to control her power, if she doesn't have control the world could very well be in danger... she could end up like..."

"Jean?"

"I didn't mean it that way Logan..."

"So Jean's an animal now..."

"No... please don't argue with me. What happened to Jean was unfortunate, I'd hate to see the same thing happen to a young girl."

"How old is this mutant?"

"She's fourteen..."

"Fourteen?" Logan snorted, obviously unimpressed.

"Watch your back Logan, you don't know what you're dealing with..."

"Do you?"

X X X X

An hour of much awkward silence later, they had arrived in Minnesota only to find the house unoccupied. Sabrine Page was nowhere to be found.

"She couldn't have gone far..." Logan replied, sniffing the air inquisitively.

Storm glanced around looking for any sign of where the teenager may have run off. The house sat in the middle of what looked like a barren wasteland, the closest house being a mile away. A thick expanse of evergreen wood circled the back of the house, a likely place for one to run away.

"I say we start with the woods," she answered, turning to him before quickly following him down the stone path into the darkened woods.

X X X X

Sabrine was surprised how much sunlight the trees blocked as early as three in the afternoon. She found herself in great need of her night vision, one of her mutant abilities from which she got her name Nightshade. Her telepathy surrounded her in a huge field of energy as dense as the trees that entrapped her. After her recent encounter with Magneto, she took no time in quickly gathering a duffle full of absolute necessities before running off. Now more than ever, she relied on her mind's eye to keep her safe from everyone else.

She moved silently, using her telekinesis to hover slightly above the ground, the laces of her purple cross-trainers barely brushing the dirt. Several yards behind her, something passed through her telepathic range, just out of her eyesight. Using as little of her power as possible, she located the figures while keeping her emotions under control. There was no need to get worked up now.

Fearing Winona or the police were on her tail, she began the task of identifying the intruders. There were two of them; a man and woman, both clothed in identical leather uniforms with a large "X" embroidered on the collar. The woman appeared slightly taller than Sabrine herself with gray hair and a cautious demeanor. The man was clearly the threat; he had a certain animal like quality to him with bushy hair and a tall muscular stature.

They were mutants, but somehow they seemed less threatening than The Brotherhood. Digging deeper into their minds, she discovered the woman had abilities to control the weather, and the man's healing ability allowed him to sport an entire skeleton encased in an indestructible metal called adamantium. They were teachers at a place Sabrine was familiar with.

_They must be her friends, her colleagues…_she thought, feeling a rush of relief envelope her senses.

She realized now that they were within arm's reach of her standing uneasy behind her.

"You probe everyone's mind, or is that your way of greeting us?" the man asked, his voice gruff, yet strangely gentle.

"I'm sorry," she smiled, her eyes turning from their luminous purple state.

"Sabrine, we're here to help you, we're from…" the woman spoke sweetly.

"Xavier's School for the Gifted," Sabrine interrupted, turning to face the adults. "I know."

The woman did not falter a second, "We've come to take you home."

"I don't have a home."

"Yes you do… we can help you…"

"Please leave before one of you gets hurt."

"Sabrine we can't leave you… Magneto will come back. Next time he won't be so cooperative."

She stared at the man, her eyes intently locked on his amber gaze. He was in awe, his mouth slightly agape, taking in her appearance. Her long red hair fell to her waist in soft waves, her eyes a familiar shade of green, her long lean legs covered in a form fitting pair of black pants. It was compete déjà vu. Logan was speechless; his mind was going crazy. She was a mirage, a copied image of the woman who haunted his dreams and stole his heart. He was too bewildered to speak. Why was the world so cruel to him?

Storm watched the silent exchange, feeling the pain consume him once again. The Professor's conversation before they left simply did not do Sabrine justice. She was still hesitant to believe her best friend's energy could have allowed her to create a teenager so beautiful. It was science-fiction, the idea of another dimension where life could be given, and yet here she stood purely non-fiction.

Sabrine blinked, pulling her attention from the man, and focusing it on the ground.

"You must be Logan," she whispered, her eyes catching his once again. He seemed stunned, as if his own name was foreign to him. She smiled her mother's signature smile, which pained him and spoke almost inaudibly, "She told me you'd come back for me."


	4. Somewhere I Belong

A/N: okay, this chapter's somewhat of a filler. It will get more exciting I promise. Please R&R! Feedback's greatly appreciated.

**Chapter Three: Somewhere I Belong**

Back at the mansion, Dasha, Chloe, Ashlyn, and Mahogany were getting ready for their weekly practice in the Danger Room. After losing both Jean and Scott, it was time for the teenagers to step up and take the responsibility of being X-Men. This was their second month of training and their combat teacher Logan lovingly dubbed them team "Alpha." Their other classmates Stasia, Jolie, Cordelia, Pilar, and Nadine outnumbered them and were clearly the more aggressive team. Team "Beta" had an undeniable chemistry and a pure offensive strategy. Down a man, Chloe's team always seemed to be missing a link in their chain.

Sabrine Jean Grey was that link.

Logan and Storm returned sooner than imagined, bringing Sabrine straight to the Professor. They did their best to hide her from the curious student who were well aware of the rumors about a teenager named Nightshade with more power than Phoenix herself.

Sabrine, however, was clueless to why so many found her fascinating. Hoping they were close to their destination, she hid behind her long locks as well as she could.

"Charles…" Storm opened the door to his office, unaware his class was still in progress.

"That'll be all for today," Charles said to his class, sensing the urgency and excitement in her voice.

The class filed out through the door, eager to meet their friends before dinner. Among them were Marie, who smiled at Logan, and Kitty Pryde, who greeted Storm before running after Marie and Bobby.

Sabrine stood stunned, amazed by the number of mutant students. She followed the two adults into the office of the man who was practically her grandfather.

To her astonishment, she was not greeted by the bald-headed Charles Xavier she had heard tales of, but a shorter man with brown hair and a boyish face.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes Miss Page," Charles smiled. The voice was his, a reminder that the old Charles was indeed still with them.

"It's good to finally meet you Charles," she replied sweetly, sitting across from the Professor.

"You sound just like her."

"Thank You."

"You look just like her too."

Sabrine blushed, "So… what do I do now?"

"Logan will take you to the Danger Room for combat training. You'll meet your team members."

"Can't I get hurt?"

"You? Heavens no…"

"I don't know about this…"

"I wouldn't be putting you in any danger. I just want to see how developed your powers are."

"You want to make me an X-Man, eh?"

Charles shook his head, "Just like him…" he muttered under his breath. "Logan will take you."

"I'll talk to you later Professor."

Sabrine rose to her feet, stretching her long spidery fingers to grasp Xavier's hand. Straightening her green V-neck top, she followed Logan to the door. Before she left, the Professor called to her.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this day."

"Yes I do."

Logan shut the door behind Sabrine, motioning her down the hallway. He turned to the one wall, and pushed on what looked like a wooden panel to reveal a hidden elevator.

"Underground Level… X-Men Quarters…"

Logan raised his left eyebrow, "Just trying to understand this place. I'll stay out of you mind I promise.

Logan grunted "K bub…"

Sabrine laughed, raising her left eyebrow as well, "Don't you talk?"

Logan glared, immediately stepping at it's opening.

"Guess not… I can see why she's so fond of you," she replied sarcastically.

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind… so where's this…" her voice trailed off lightly, her feet coming to a halt.

"Sabrine?"

She stood motionlessly staring at the spacious room in front of her. Sabrine swore she died and gone to heaven.

_A Chemistry Lab_.

It was massive, filled with vials of chemicals her hands dreamed of playing with. This was a science geek's dream.

"Sabrine? Come on."

"What is this?"

"You can't go in there…"

"I don't understand…"

"Nobody goes in there…"

"Why?"

"That lab belonged to a very special person."

"This is _hers_?"

"Yes… let's go we'll be late."

She followed him down the hallway relishing in her new discovery. She'd have to investigate later when everyone was asleep; after all, she hardly ever slept.

They came to the end of the hallway, where yet another concealed room was. She followed Logan inside the room and found four girls sitting at a table in the middle.

"Where the hell've you been?" said a tall girl with dark hair and a body covered in a golden skin.

"Nice to see you too Jinx. I like you guys to meet the fifth member of your team. This is Sabrine."

"Sabrine?" asked a blonde girl in a blue X-Men uniform.

"Sabrine, come in."

Before she could say "Hello," four mouths fell open.

"Meet _Nightshade_."

Sabrine stared puzzled at the four girls who she would be spending most of her time with.

"Hi, I'm Ashlyn or Cycolona," said the girl in the blue X-Men uniform.

"Nice to meet you."

Sitting beside Ashlyn was another blonde girl whose tank top showed off her pair of long black wings.

"Mahogany Worthington, call me Falcon," across the table, Falcon stretched a ring-covered hand toward the red-head.

To Falcon's right sat the golden girl. Something about her posture gave Sabrine the impression she was both the oldest and the one in charge.

"Hi I'm Chloe Darkholme, I'll be watching your back in the Danger Room. We're a pretty close knit group, but I think you'll fit in fine. You can call me Jinx," Chloe too, shook the younger girl's hand.

Before she could react, the arms of a tanned African girl were around her.

"Oh, this is so exciting!" Dasha smiled pulling away from the slightly stunned Sabrine. "I'm Dasha, Ororo Munroe's niece."

"You're Glaze? I've heard a lot about you."

"Likewise."

"OK… so uh, now that we all know each other, I think we can start the simulation."

"What's on the menu?" Chloe asked, opening the closest door to find Sabrine a uniform.

"Level 7?"

"Level 7! We've never gone past 5 before!" Dasha protested.

"Oh, shut up Glaze," Falcon replied, rolling her eyes and pulling her black uniform over her clothes.

"Soon you'll be in real battle, besides I want to test your skills," Logan replied, setting the computer up for battle.

"This should fit you…" Chloe said, giving Sabrine an X-Men uniform with red embroidery.

She ran her fingers over the smooth leather, admiring the luxurious feeling of the intricate stitching.

"The legs may be a little long, but it's the only one we have," Chloe replied, studying Sabrine's fascination with the uniform.

"I'll go change… thank you."

X X X X

They set up in an "X" formation on the lower level with Falcon and Jinx in the front, Nightshade in the middle, and Glaze and Cycolona in the back. They decided initially to split up, Falcon and Jinx manning the upper level, but having nearly been clipped by several flying boulders, they immediately regrouped on the lower level.

"Remain calm, remember your mission. And Sabrine, don't be afraid to use your powers."

Sabrine sighed. Everything seemed too much for her, and she could not for the life of her calm down. She searched frantically for the voice in her head hoping for guidance through her first time in a situation where she could very well be physically injured.

Several yards ahead, things were not looking so good for Falcon and Jinx. Their position was nearly discovered and debris were landing only feet in front of them.

"Jinx, watch it!" Falcon screamed at her captain, as a piece of rock flew at the occupied teenager. Chloe Darkholme was too busy surveying the field to hear the scream of her co-captain, but before she could react, Falcon had lifted her upward and they were now flying in the air.

"Nice save," Chloe replied, watching her team beneath her.

"Don't mention it.," Falcon smiled.

Nightshade stood below them, clearly bewildered by their just barely avoided accident. She soon snapped out of her dream state as another fiery mass of rock was hurled toward her two teammates still on the ground level.

Cycolona turned around a split second before the boulder was due to smack right into them; she shrieked loudly at the pain that was destined to hit them. She could feel the overwhelming heat radiating off the object above her, but it never touched her skin.

Uncovering her eyes, she noticed the boulder raise into the air above her before exploding, sending burning embers toward the ground in a slow descent. Glaze and Cycolona glanced across the field at their purple-eyed comrade.

Now _this_ was going to be fun.

X X X X

"Still trying to sort out your past Logan?"

"Good afternoon Professor."

"You're not the only one you know. A child so powerful doesn't deserve to be orphaned."

"But she…"

"Is not who you think. She's from a world far beyond what we've seen with our own two eyes… beautiful isn't she?"

"If I didn't know, I'd think she was…"

"Jean's daughter?"

"She's a teenager! It's impossible!"

"Nothing's impossible in her world."

"Are you saying Sabrine Page is Sabrine Grey?"

The Professor only smiled through the class at the younger students still engaged in their simulation, "Have a good day Logan."

"Professor wait! Why is she here?"

"To return what was lost… your class is waiting for you we'll talk later."

X X X X

It was close to dinner time and Team Beta was finishing up their simulation within the Danger Room. Lead by stubborn and commanding Cordelia McCoy, who was also known as Sonar, their team consisted of three aggressive attackers and two strong defensive mutants.

"Renegade, Mindstalker fall back! Hermia take the right, Ghost the left!" came the instructions from the point of their formation, Sonar.

"We know the drill Sonar," was the response from Stasia, also called Renegade on the back line.

The five of them worked off each other well after months of practice. They knew when their powers were needed and when the others would cover for them. Sonar would use her heightened sense of hearing and sight to map out the field ahead of them, protecting them from any possible dangers. Meanwhile, Ghost and Hermia would use their powers to raise ahead of the lines, destroying whatever they came across.

Battling against a Level 5 defense, they quickly took down their target and headed into the girl's locker room to change out of their X-Men uniforms.

"Did you guys hear about Alpha taking down a Level 7?" Stasia asked, hanging her uniform up.

"No way! They had trouble with 3 last week!" Pilar exclaimed, staring at her friend stunned.

"Yeah, but they have _her_," Jolie replied.

"Who?" Nadine asked, buttoning her jeans.

"Nightshade? I thought that was just a rumor," their leader returned, refusing to believe the rumors of a Class Six mutant could be true.

"She's here; Grandpa told me she'd be coming. I just didn't expect it to be soon..." Jolie responded.

"That's not fair! Why do they get the prodigy?" Nadine interjected.

"Hey! We work fine without her! Now why don't we just go see what all this fuss is about," Cordelia said, leading her team out the door and into the elevator.

Cordelia McCoy would soon discover Nightshade was _definitely_ more than a rumor.

A/N: okay so that was crappy boring. Anyway? Reviews?

Expect Logan angst next chapter and more action.

Thanks, Ev


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